Old Dog Oral Care

Even if you haven’t been brushing your dog’s teeth since he was a pup, it’s important to provide your old dog oral care. Without it your loyal companion will likely suffer mouth pain, may lose his appetite and some of his teeth may fall out.  And for you, you may have to deal with his really bad breath!

All of this can be avoided with simple oral care. Old Dog Care Guide suggests a couple of products other than a toothbrush and toothpaste in order to minimize the pressure on your old dog’s mouth.

“Even if you’ve never cleaned your old dog’s teeth before, now’s the time to start.  If your dog allows you to put your fingers in his mouth with little fuss, I like to use Dental Wipes. They look and feel like a Baby Wipe, but are created specifically to help maintain a dog’s healthy teeth and gums.  I wrap one around my index finger and wipe inside my dog’s mouth, along the gumline. Then I get a clean one and wipe behind her teeth.  I’m done before she knows it.  They have some sort of minty flavor and my dog always licks her mouth after we’ve wiped her teeth.

But if you’re furry friend doesn’t like your hand in his mouth, an alternative would be Dental Fresh.  Dental Fresh is a liquid that you add to your dog’s water.  It only takes one teaspoon of Dental Fresh to 8 ounces of water once a day. Though I personally haven’t used it, a friend of mine swears by it.  She’s used it with her Norwegian Elkhound, Moose, since he was a pup. She then rescued Sadie, a Chocolate Lab who had really discolored teeth. She started getting Dental Fresh in her water as well.  Both of her dogs are now around eight years old and their teeth are in great shape.

I prefer these two products over a toothbrush for an old dog because the toothbrush can cause more pain – especially if your old dog is already suffering from sore gums and teeth.  

There are other oral care products available for dogs such as dental treats and dental bones but these concern me for an old dog because they may have a negative impact on her digestive tract.  Not that they aren’t intended to be eaten, they are; but just like old people, an old dog’s ability to break down food lessens as they get older.”

Taking care of your pooch’s teeth is like taking care of your own; it doesn’t do much good if you don’t do it every day.  But with these simple-to-use products, providing your old dog oral care is easier than it’s ever been.  Both of these products are available online or at most pet retailers. If you’ve used either one, we’d love to hear about your experience.  If you provide oral care for your old dog in another way, please share your story below.